as one who has been arrested several times, been in a house that was raided, car searched, (BUT NEVER WENT TO JAIL!), i have a few kind words.

1. i notice cops like to yell "stop resisting!" when a majority of the time the "suspect" wants to know why he or she is being arrested. of course the cop doesn't know whether or not the suspect has a weapon, so it is in the cops best interest to arrest every possible suspect at the scene. i understand that.

2. i would understand if the cop had to slam the 6'5" dude who ain't make it to the NBA, but the chick was a featherweight. why he gotta toss her like that?

RM people, elaborate.

i just got paid, but my whole paycheck is going to slowly putting my life back together.

I wouldn't say she was a "featherweight." From the few seconds of footage, you can't tell what she is high on, or how strong she is. Ask any cop about the fights they've been in, and most will tell you that the nastiest fights have been with women. I made the mistake of taking it easy on a non-compliant female once, and I got a face full of scratch marks, and my partner got bit in the arm by a Hep-A positive female.

She was clearly interfering with whatever was going on, and I would have put her in handcuffs too. She clearly resisted the officer's attempt to apply the handcuffs, and tried to pull away. Personally, Id go for the body slam or leg sweep in that instance, as I save facial strikes for more serious situations. However, the legal standard for police force is set forth by the Supreme Court, which is largely SUBJECTIVE for the officer who is in the moment.

The problem with these types of videos, where the force looks borderline excessive is you don't have a complete understanding of the situation. Is she known to the officers as someone who fights, is she high on PCP or have cocaine-psychosis, is she a gang member, was she yelling death threats at the officer, is she known to carry guns or knives? There is an array of things you think of as a front line street cop, and it's easier for armchair heroes to pick apart split second decisions, just like people do when a QB throws a bad pass or a running back misses a cut.

Until you've been in the fight of your life with a suspect who isn't feeling shit, you can't understand the thought process of a skilled officer. I'd still take getting punched in the face over getting sprayed with mace, any day of the week. Sometimes strikes help to resolve a volatile situation more quickly, so officers can avoid beating someone with a baton or transitioning to a possible deadly force encounter.

It's always easier to yell police brutality, but when you consider all of the unknowns, accompanied with the experience of a seasoned street cop (especially those who work the night shift), you may analyze things a little differently. 99% of cops don't come to work hoping to punch someone in the face or hoping to have to roll around with some filthy drug addicted AIDS patient, but it's part of the job, and when videos like this surface, it's almost always going to be lose-lose for the officer applying the force, at least in the eyes of the uninformed general public.

@Hardkore, just to address the point in your first post, a citizen does not have the right to an explanation of why he or she is being placed into handcuffs prior to the application of the handcuffs. So if an officer is lawfully detaining or arresting a person, and the person refuses to comply until the officer explains himself, the person is effectively resisting arrest. Hence, the yelling of "stop resisting," which is what every police academy in America teaches officers to do.

It's like people who get pulled over who feel entitled to an explanation prior to relinquishing their drivers license and registration. You simply don't have that right. In the interest of professionalism and common courtesy I think most cops make it a habit to explain themselves when it is safe to do so, but this video was clearly not one of those times where I would have taken the time to explain myself. We can talk after the handcuffs are on.

sickening
& no amount of explaining will change my mind. He punched her in the face, if as a police officer you can't see how that makes you look to the general public, I don't know what to say.
I understand you have a tough job, I understand (&appreciate) you showing us the "other side of the coin" - you've def made me think about stuff. But come man, really?